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Jeff Lynne and his Seventies pop ensemble Electric Light Orchestra have nixed their first U.S. tour in more than fifteen years, as the band failed to sell enough tickets to fill the arena-sized venues.
The group planned the tour behind their summer release, Zoom, the first ELO recording with Lynne since 1986's Balance of Power. (A band billed as Electric Light Orchestra II, which didn't feature Lynne, continued, before the ELO mastermind took the reigns back this year.) The hiatus seemed to build disinterest rather than nostalgic fascination, as Zoom was met with a lukewarm reception, selling under 20,000 units in its first week to debut at Number Ninety-four on the charts. Two weeks later it exited the Top 200.
The band initially planned to kick off the twenty-five-date tour on September 7th in Albany, New York, but nixed that date, moving the tour opener to the following night at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The arena trek was initially scheduled to run through October 20th, where it was to wrap up at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Hotel and Casino. ELO weren't without 2001 performances though, as the band recorded an episode of Storytellers for VH1 and a special for PBS that will air throughout the month on various affiliates.
ANDREW DANSBY
(August 16, 2001)